Friday, April 14, 2017

Lake of Fire and El Diablo




Our Drinks with Reads today is Lake of Fire by Colorado author Mark Stevens.a Kerry Hammond has paired his book with the perfect drink.

Lake of Fire by Mark Stevens is the fourth book in the Allison Coil mystery series by author Mark Stevens. The book was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award in 2015 and that’s when it came onto my radar; I’ve wanted to read it ever since.

In the story, a wildfire is burning through Colorado and destroying the precious land that Allison Coil treasures. A body is found at the epicenter of the fire, along with evidence that the blaze was started intentionally. The person who finds this evidence, however, does not want to report it to the authorities for fear of being apprehended. He finds Allison and shows her the skeleton, asking her to report it to the police.

What follows is an investigation into the suspicious death that coincides with an arson investigation. Allison and her friend Trudy are caught up in the inquiry when it becomes clear that the dead man is someone they both knew and liked. Duncan Bloom, Trudy’s boyfriend and reporter, helps them search for a reason for the murder. Their search brings them in contact with some scary, anti-government extremists who are on a mission to destroy more than the Colorado wilderness.

Stevens is a wonderful storyteller and Lake of Fire is a great mystery. I loved all of the characters but really admired Allison. She’s a strong female protagonist and an interesting and complicated character. I found the descriptions to be so accurate that I could almost feel the heat of the fire that was devastating the land. It was easy to get caught up in the story and hard to put the book down. This is a great series and I plan to go back and start at the beginning with book one.

The drink I chose to pair with the book had to contain tequila because Allison is a big tequila drinker. I liked the drink name because it conjured up thoughts of the devil and hell. I imagine being in the heart of the wildfire would feel as hot as hell. Luckily the drink will provide a cool and refreshing contrast to that.

El Diablo
1 ½ oz. Tequila
½ oz. Raspberry Liquor
½ oz. Lime Juice
Ginger Beer

Shake tequila, raspberry liquor and lime juice in a shaker full of ice. Strain into a glass fill with crushed ice and top with as much Ginger Beer as you like.


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